Council to consider renewing tax

MILTON-FREEWATER – The Milton-Freewater City Council meets virtually today (Monday) at 7 p.m. and will consider putting a measure on the May 10 ballot. The measure will let voters decide whether they continue a local option tax to raise approximately $100,000 per year, for five years, to repair, renovate and improve recreational facilities in the city. The city only raises about $85,000 of that a year.

“A local option tax is a tax that voters approve that is in addition to the permanent tax rate and is used for specific purposes,” City Manager Linda Hall said. “Such as in this case, the repair and improvement of the city’s aged recreational facilities.”

Hall said the city’s pool was built in 1996 and most of the city’s playground equipment is even older than that.

“We have 52 acres of parks in the city, walking trails, an 18-hole golf course, an aquatic center, a splash pad, tennis courts, many ballfields, soccer fields, etc. and it all takes money to upkeep and repair and improve,” Hall said. “These are important facilities and assets for a community to have as we all agree – getting outside for exercise and recreation is paramount to a healthy person.”

According to Hall, this is not an increase in the taxes.

“In fact, it would be a lower assessment than is current because our assessed value has increased since it was first approved,” she explained.

The local option tax would be 32 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, five cents less than the last time it was approved.

Also on the agenda, accepting a proposal for design, engineering and bid specifications for the new police station’s radio communications system.

“The police building project is progressing quite nicely,” Hall adds. “We are in the final design phase now.”

Hall anticipates having bid documents go out in June and breaking ground on the project this August.

The meeting will be available via Zoom. The meeting ID is 881 0875 2110 and the password is 878609.

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Elkhorn Media Group

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